Democrats in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Jersey are facing election fraud allegations–two instances are related to this year’s election, while two others are connected to prior elections.
After a video was posted on a social media that appeared to show a supporter of the Bridgeport Connecticut, incumbent Democrat Mayor Joe Ganim stuffing absentee ballots in a ballot box, his opponent, John Gomes (D), challenged the Sept. 12th primary results when he was defeated by 251 votes. Absentee ballots reportedly secured Ganim’s victory. Gomes sued city officials and demanded a new primary, or he be named the primary winner.
On Wednesday, Nov. 1st Bridgeport Superior Court Judge William Clark overturned the results of the mayoral primary and ordered another election calling the primary results “in serious doubt,” in connection with absentee ballot abuse, as reported by Just the News.
John Gomes hopes a new primary isn’t needed, since the general election in Bridgeport is tomorrow, Nov. 7th and he remains on the ballot. Should Gomes win, it will probably bring all litigation to a close, according to Connecticut Public Radio WNPR.
Meanwhile, a mayoral candidate in neighboring Massachusetts is accused of bribing residents to vote. Election officials in Springfield allegedly witnessed candidate Justin Hurst shuttling voters to and from city hall for early voting and some of them reportedly expected to receive cash after voting for Hurst.
Video footage of a Hurst campaign affiliate handing out $10 bills spelled voter fraud, according to city officials sworn affidavits. Hurst denied the allegations, saying, “Any accusations that my team paid residents in exchange for their vote is unequivocally false.”
Springfield Elections Commissioner Gladys Oyola-Lopez told Western Mass News differently. “As of Friday, October 27, we noticed a marked increase in the number of walk-in voters at city hall… Periodically, the voters that came in would discuss among themselves about receiving payment. They stated they must take the ‘I Voted’ sticker as proof they voted.”
In New Jersey, election fraud charges from 2020 and 2021 in two cities were announced by Attorney General Matthew Platkin’s last month. Paterson City Council President Alex Mendez (D) is facing additional election fraud charges from 2020, after charges in June 2020 and February 2021, according to the attorney general’s office.
Mendez allegedly violated mail in-ballot laws during his 2020 city council race. His campaign purportedly examined unsealed mail in-ballots, destroyed those for the opposition and replaced them with ballots for him. Mendez claimed the charges were unfair, adding he looked forward to his day in court.
Also in New Jersey, Dr. Henrilynn Ibezim, a 2021 Plainfield Mayoral Candidate, was charged with “election fraud and other crimes” according to Platkin’s office. Purportedly, Ibezim directed his associates to fill out blank voter registration applications and deliver nearly 1,000 to the post office. Ibezim was defeated in the June 2021 primary by three other candidates.
Robyn Spradlin is a freelance journalist working as a contributor for Christian News Journal covering news and politics on the national and state levels. She has worked as a copywriter for Victory News on the Victory Channel since 2022. Robyn has an BA in Communication Studies and MA in Journalism from Regent University and is a member of the Evangelical Press Association. She is an author, evangelistic minister and a musician.